Pivoting Nursing Research and Scholarship During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought numerous challenges for conducting the human subjects research needed to advance science and improve health. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this article is to discuss how a college of nursing at a large public university in the southeast United States has responded to the challenges of conducting research during the novel COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Seven faculty researchers at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing share their experiences in overcoming the unique challenges of conducting research because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Strategies to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19 are presented within the context of the research process, career implications, communication, and maintaining morale. RESULTS: Fears of COVID-19 and social distancing measures have hindered participant recruitment, enrollment, and involvement in ongoing studies. Increasing virtual technology use and enhancing safety precautions have assisted researchers to overcome barriers. Scholarly writing has increased for some faculty members whose studies have been stalled by the pandemic, yet others have seen a decline because of additional personal responsibilities. The careers of faculty members across all ranks have been uniquely affected by the pandemic. With most faculty working remotely, enhanced communication strategies at the university and college have supported the research enterprise. Morale has been adversely affected, but a variety of personal and collegial efforts have helped faculty cope and preserve a sense of normalcy during this devastating pandemic. DISCUSSION: Faculty and their ability to conduct the research needed to inform clinical and public health practice have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges of conducting research during this unprecedented crisis, faculty and institutions are taking novel steps to ensure the continuity of scientific progress for improving the health and well-being of patients and populations.

Preparing for the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on a Nursing Simulation Curriculum.

BACKGROUND: This article describes one school's process to maintain their undergraduate nursing simulation program during campus closure and clinical placement suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: After the campus closure, faculty replaced clinical hours with simulation using virtual clinical education such as telehealth with standardized patients (SPs), virtual simulations using commercial products, and virtual faculty skills instruction. RESULTS: Using virtual clinical education and SP-based telehealth simulations provided an alternative for 50% of the required direct patient care hours. Virtual simulation accounted for 18,403 clinical hours completed by 244 students. CONCLUSION: Preparation for emergencies that force campus and clinical site closures should include processes to provide virtual simulation and remote simulations with SPs to replace clinical hours. Planning for the impacts of COVID-19 on the operation of this school of nursing highlights the importance of having a detailed plan to address campus closure due to emergencies. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(1):52-55.].

Implementing the National Incident Management System at schools of nursing in response to COVID-19.

Unprecedented financial and logistical barriers in educating nurses during COVID-19 have threatened nursing education. The purpose of this article is to provide a template to facilitate the maintenance and stability of teaching and learning in a pandemic environment for nursing school administration and faculty leaders. The National Incident Management System (NIMS), previously used in training nurses for emergency preparation and response, has been applied as a guiding framework. The framework consists of five elements: Preparedness, Communication/Information Management, Resource Management, Command and Ongoing Management/Maintenance. This paper addresses how schools of nursing may apply each of these elements to address both the needs of the institution and community. The Comprehensive Vulnerability Management paradigm is further offered as a lens for professional development. Free preparedness education is showcased from leading nursing and healthcare professional and government organizations. Finally, the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses competencies are used for integrating NIMS and social dimensions of disaster. Such tools may equip academic leaders at schools of nursing to surmount challenges posed by the pandemic, and to ensure educational readiness to respond to global health crisis through use of the NIMS framework.

A Guide to Academic Crisis Response: Strategies for Nursing Schools During COVID-19 and Beyond.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has tested the capacity of every nursing school, but its impact has varied according to the size, location, and baseline infrastructure of each school. This makes the pandemic an important lens through which to study crisis management principles, such as flexibility and scalability (the ability to expand and reduce efforts based on situational demands). PURPOSE: This article provides a roadmap for academic crisis management, modeled on the National Incident Management System (NIMS). It is tailored to the unique needs of nursing schools and applies COVID-19 as a case study. METHODS: The authors explore the elements of the NIMS that were deployed within 1 top-ranked school of nursing during COVID-19. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The article includes best practices, tips, and resources to help academic nurse leaders and educators navigate large-scale or unprecedented crises, such as COVID-19.

A College of Nursing's Upward Spiral During a Global Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: In March 2020, COVID-19 forced institutions of higher education, faculty, staff, and students to transition to emergency remote learning. This unprecedented time provided the opportunity to reenvision the delivery of nursing education and operation of the college of nursing, using the principles of the four Cs of interorganizational partnering as a guide supported by positive organizational scholarship. METHOD: The Villanova University Fitzpatrick College of Nursing designed and implemented strategies to provide seamless learning opportunities for students in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, while providing necessary support and future planning for the upcoming academic year. RESULTS: Online and virtual learning platforms integrated into curricula assisted students to meet course objectives and program outcomes. Strategies for effective communication, collegiality, and collaboration within and among the college, university, and nursing community served as mechanism for innovation. CONCLUSION: Communication, cooperation, coordination, and collaboration, along with positive organizational strategizing and support contributed to a successful transition during the COVID-19 pandemic; many of the approaches implemented during the emergency transition will continue into the future.[J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(12):675-682.].

Pedagogical mediations for non-formal nursing teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: to report the experience of developing pedagogical mediations in a Virtual Learning Environment implemented in a nursing faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: an experience report on the construction of a distance course aimed at graduates and residents of a nursing faculty at a public university located in the city of Rio de Janeiro. RESULTS: the course's conception, operationalization and implementation were the result of a collective work that culminated in a non-formal, virtual and problematic teaching process, which reached a participation rate of 82% of enrolled students. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: even in times of social isolation, the course promoted collaborative learning of knowledge about COVID-19 and strengthened the relationship between professors and students. The possibility of carrying out distance activities based on solid methodological proposals that contradict the content logic often observed in distance learning is emphasized.

The Impact of COVID-19 within Academic Settings: A High-Speed Pivot.

In a high-speed pivot never seen before in post-secondary education in Canada, the COVID-19 pandemic upended every facet of academia. Almost overnight the system transitioned to remote teaching, empty campuses and research stoppages. Nursing school administrators were asked to make hundreds of decisions daily to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff while maintaining education standards. Several months into the pandemic, circumstances are still far from normal as we continue to expect the unexpected and prepare to be nimble agents of change in the months ahead. This commentary outlines my observations as a faculty member during the past few months.

COVID-19: Planning and Postpandemic Partnerships.

The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has highlighted the need for strong partnerships between educators and healthcare professionals to facilitate the reopening of schools. School nurses are uniquely positioned to bridge this gap because of their role as a healthcare professional in the educational setting. Past research identifies the effectiveness of collaborative efforts to serve students by community partners, school system personnel, and school nurses. However, partnerships have been episodic and reactive rather than ongoing and proactive. The circumstances of COVID-19 present an opportunity for school nurses to promote collaboration and planning as an ongoing practice. Recommendations for school nurses to form ongoing public health and school system partnerships, as well as with teachers, parents, and school nursing colleagues, are presented.

Service learning in public health nursing education: How COVID-19 accelerated community-academic partnership.

Days after COVID-19 physical distancing precautions were implemented, a coalition of community leaders in Baltimore City founded the Baltimore Neighbors Network (BNN), a volunteer network established to provide proactive phone-based support to older adults in Baltimore City. BNN was a community-driven approach aimed at reducing social isolation and improving health equity both during the pandemic and long-term. This paper describes how the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing's (JHUSON) public health nursing clinical faculty and students partnered with BNN to support a community-driven crisis response effort while creatively meeting student learning objectives. While engaging in the work of BNN remotely, nursing students were able to meet competencies across all eight domains of the Quad Council Coalition of Public Health Nursing Organizations. Schools of Nursing throughout the country can use this partnership as a model of a service-learning strategy for public health nursing education during a crisis.

Creating a culture that values diversity and inclusion: An action-oriented framework for schools of nursing.

An organizational culture that values diversity and inclusion is essential for the achievement of high-quality nursing education, yet little literature exists to guide schools of nursing (SON) in accomplishing this goal. All SONs, regardless of size, need a framework that provides specific steps for developing and nurturing a culture that values diversity and inclusion. Using our SON as an exemplar, the goal of this article was to (a) review the barriers we faced when building a diverse and inclusive environment, (b) share our school's strategic plan designed to promote diversity and inclusion, and (c) highlight successful strategies as part of the development and ongoing implementation of our school's strategic plan. This process requires continuous commitment and intentionality as well as flexibility to address unforeseen circumstances. For example, the goals we have adopted and the strategies we have put in place have allowed members of our SON community to acknowledge and address the urgency and validity of the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on racial and ethnic minority groups. Although we recognize that we still have work to do within our SON community, we believe our exemplar offers an action-oriented framework for increasing diversity and inclusion among students, faculty, staff, and leadership in SONs.

Clinical nursing and midwifery education in the pandemic age.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted clinical nursing and midwifery education. This disruption has long-term implications for the nursing and midwifery workforce and for future healthcare responses to pandemics. Solutions may include enhanced partnerships between schools of nursing and midwifery and health service providers and including schools of nursing and midwifery in preparedness planning. These suggestions notwithstanding, we call upon national and international nursing and midwifery bodies to study how to further the clinical education of nurses and midwives during pandemics and other times of crisis.

Doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree in the United States: Reflecting, readjusting, and getting back on track.

BACKGROUND: In 2004, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) called for all nursing schools to phase out master's-level preparation for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and transition to doctor of nursing practice (DNP) preparation only by 2015. Today, five years after the AACN's deadline, nursing has not yet adopted a universal DNP standard for APRN practice entry. PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors influencing the ability of nursing schools to implement a universal DNP standard for APRNs. METHODS: Deans from top-ranked nursing schools explore the current state of the DNP degree in the US. The authors draw upon their collective experience as national leaders in academic nursing, long-time influencers on this debate, and heads of DNP programs themselves. This insight is combined with a synthesis of the literature and analysis of previously unpublished data from the AACN on trends in nursing doctoral education. FINDINGS: This paper highlights issues such as the long history of inconsistency (in messaging, curricula, etc.) surrounding the DNP, certification and accreditation challenges, cost barriers, and more. The authors apply COVID-19 as a case study to help place DNP graduates within a real-world context for health system stakeholders whose buy-in is essential for the success of this professional transition. DISCUSSION: This paper describes the DNP's standing in today's professional environment and advances the conversation on key barriers to its adoption. Insights are shared regarding critical next steps to ensure national acceptance of the DNP as nursing's terminal practice degree.